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Hello fellow Lexus HS250h owners. I wanted to create my own little area on this amazing forum and document my experiences with this vehicle. I've gained a lot of knowledge by reading various threads that helped me out in the past and would like pay it forward in hopes that what I post may help and or inspire others with their Lexus HS250h.
I purchased my "new to me" 2010 Lexus HS250h in June of 2023 with 173K miles on the odometer. The vehicle has been dealer maintained and all recalls have been performed. At high level, there are a few things I wanted to tackle:
01. Leather repair/reconditioning
02. Driver floor mat clip replacement 03. Key card transmitter and master key
04. Cabin air filter replacement 05. Luggage compartment hook replacement
06. Rear driver outer tail light assembly
07. Rear passenger inner tail light nut cap replacement
08. Interior/exterior LED light updates
09. Luggage switch replacement
10. Front seats HVAC switch replacement
11. Driver heated seat control module replacement 12. Driver/passenger side view mirror turn signal replacement
13. Engine beauty cover clip replacement 14. HV cooling fan service
15. Seat track cover 16. Spark plugs and ignition coils
As time goes on, I will add items or cross them off as I complete the tasks. Below, are a few tidbits of information about the vehicle.
1. Base or Premium: Premium
2. Navigation or no nav: Navigation
3. Exterior and interior Color: Matador Red Mica (3R1) / Parchment
4. Which wheel selection (17s or 18s): 18s
5. Anything else: Installed options include tech package, rear spoiler, LED headlamps, navigation system, wide view front monitor w/backup monitor
I’ve had other Lexus vehicles in the past with tan leather, but this is the first time I’ve owned one with parchment. From the pictures, they look great, but seeing what happens to it over time with previous owners, it doesn’t look so great.
While meandering through the internet on how to repair Lexus Parchment seats, I came across a post on Club Lexus (Automotive Care & Detailing) mentioning Leather World Technologies. After reading a bit more about it on the thread, I decided to take a look at their website and see what is currently available. Once I found the correct color code for the parchment seats, I went ahead and purchased both the Leather Dye Colorant and Color Prep & Cleaner solution. Below, is what I ordered in case others are interested:
LeatherDye Colorant D245-1 Brand: Leather World Technologies Color Chart Options: Lexus, Color Code: EL 384, Color Name: Parchment, Size: 4oz Dye Colorant, Gloss: Satin - Low Gloss, Color Adjusting Kit: No, Antimicrobial Product Protection: None Added
Color Prep & Cleaner CPC08-1 Brand: Leather World Technologies Size: 8oz Color Prep
This is the first time I’ve attempted any type of leather repair, but from the pictures below, this part of the seat was already in bad shape. I wanted to test out the product on this part only, just in case it all went south. I prepared the area by applying the Color Prep & Cleaner and wiping the surface area clean. I then added a few drops of the Leather Dye Colorant onto a foam brush and started to apply the dye onto the affected area. I applied four coats of the dye with a drying time of 30 minutes in between each coat.
I have to say, it was a pretty painless procedure. However, you do need to have patience and a steady hand to apply the coats. I may go back on their
website and purchase the semi-glass version and apply it as the 5th/6th final coat. For now, it’s easier on the eyes than it was before.
Very nice! I’ll have to keep that in mind for my seats when the time comes. I have your car’s twin. Exact same options/color combo. Just turned 155k miles. I took over ownership at 133k and have done a ton of stuff on the car myself since. Runs like a champ!
I highly recommend you put a clear top coat on top of the paint as it will make the repairs last a lot longer. All the sliding in and out of the seats really wears out the paint, but the clear coat makes a big difference. I did not use it the first time....https://www.leatherrenew.com/product.../leather-clear
@AtomsilGSF: I just had an oil change done at my local Lexus dealership and receive a clean bill of health. So far so good and I'm quite pleased with it.
@Clutchless: Thanks for the advice on the clear top coat. I was pondering the longevity as well when people get in and out of the car. When you purchased your kit from Leather Renew, did you have an option for the type of sheen the paint would come in? I opted for the low gloss, but was thinking I would do a semi gloss next time. I'm asking because you applied a clear top coat, and wanted to also know if the that coat increased the sheen or not.
As I was going through the car after purchase, I noticed that the luggage hook was hanging on by a thread. One of the neat attributes to this hook was that you can hook it up to the top of the trunk opening so that you are able to remove the spare tire and tools without having to hold up the floorboard and carpeting with your forearms.
Description: HOOK, LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT TRIM, NO. 1 PART NO: 64725-30080-C0
They had no paint sheen options. They had no clear coat options. Just one product that did not change the original paint appearance.
Also for battery longevity it helps to clean dust out of the battery cooling fan ductwork that is behind the rear seat. The duct is on the driver side of the rear seat. You can pull out the rear seat to take the duct apart and clean it. You can also get to the little cooling fan, remove it and clean the blades. That is what the little panel is on the left side of the trunk wall to the rear seat, to allow access to one of the fan motor bolts/screws.
If interested I can post the section from the service manuall. It is not difficult to do and helps the battery run cooler.
The HS does not have a filter for the ductwork which they added to later generation hybrids to keep dust out of the cooling duct.
They had no paint sheen options. They had no clear coat options. Just one product that did not change the original paint appearance.
Also for battery longevity it helps to clean dust out of the battery cooling fan ductwork that is behind the rear seat. The duct is on the driver side of the rear seat. You can pull out the rear seat to take the duct apart and clean it. You can also get to the little cooling fan, remove it and clean the blades. That is what the little panel is on the left side of the trunk wall to the rear seat, to allow access to one of the fan motor bolts/screws.
If interested I can post the section from the service manuall. It is not difficult to do and helps the battery run cooler.
The HS does not have a filter for the ductwork which they added to later generation hybrids to keep dust out of the cooling duct.
I just recently did this and my fan was almost spotless. I couldn’t believe it considering I had 150k miles on it.
Also for battery longevity it helps to clean dust out of the battery cooling fan ductwork that is behind the rear seat. The duct is on the driver side of the rear seat. You can pull out the rear seat to take the duct apart and clean it. You can also get to the little cooling fan, remove it and clean the blades. That is what the little panel is on the left side of the trunk wall to the rear seat, to allow access to one of the fan motor bolts/screws.
If interested I can post the section from the service manuall. It is not difficult to do and helps the battery run cooler.
The HS does not have a filter for the ductwork which they added to later generation hybrids to keep dust out of the cooling duct.
I appreciate the helpful maintenance tip. If you wouldn't mind, please post this section of the service manual so that I may perform this task when time permits. Any idea if you can tell the intake fan is working as intended? I had my car on and checked to see if any air was being sucked in, but no dice. I'm not sure if the fan has to meet any criteria prior to it kicking on to cool down the battery.
I have no idea. It is a tiny fan and i bet the airflow may not be enough to be noticed. Since you can access the third fan bolt from the trunk, I would try to listen there. However I do not know if it runs all the time or via a thermostat. I will dig up the manual section.
Attached is the hybrid battery cooling fan section from the service manual. It is called battery blower. Between this pdf and the one above on the rear seat you should be able to complete this project. Also look at some youtube videos on Prius battery cooling fan maintenance as it is very similar. Some have good cleaning tips.
@Clutchless: Thank you for providing the Battery Blower document as well as the link to the rear seat removal instructions. I'll need to carve out some time to perform this maintenance item.
I’ve always liked electronic trunk release mechanisms on cars. However, on my vehicle, the exposed rubber face has deteriorated and not sure what the previous owners tried to do but you really had to press on the button in order to pop the trunk.
This was a pretty easy part replacement. Pop the trunk, remove the felt liner cover underneath the trunk lid, disconnect the old switch, remove the old switch and install the new switch. If you planned on replacing the old license plate bulbs with LEDs, this is a great time to do so.
Towards the end of August, "Little Red" notified me with a "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" prompt. I did not have any loss of performance, but my TPMS light came on as well. After I got home, I plugged in a scan tool and a "P3221" (Generator Inverter Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance) code popped up. I took Little Red in to my local Toyota dealership since Lexus was about a 25 minute drive away and didn't want to get stranded in route to Lexus.
Toyota went over my car and pointed out a couple of maintenance items. They did keep it for a few days to try and replicate the issue, but it never came back. One of the maintenance items was to perform a HV Cooling Fan Service. The fan was really dirty and may have contributed to the code being triggered. Below is a list of the maintenance items performed and recommended:
1. HV Cooling Fan Service: Performed
2. Front marker bulb replacement: Performed
3. TPMS sensor replacement and programmed: Performed
4. Front left CV axle: Deferred
5. Both front lower control arms (bushings are torn): Deferred
6. Front and rear brake pads with shim kids: Deferred
I purchased the front left CV axle (Lexus # 4342075012), front left lower control arm (Lexus # 4806912300) and front right lower control arm (Lexus # 4806812300) from Lexus since they were having a sale. When my next oil change comes up, then I'll have these outstanding maintenance items performed.
You may want to peruse the Camry hybrid forums at Toyota Nation for any posts or threads regarding maintenance as we have the Camry hybrid system and the control arms and axles, while different, are still typical Toyota design. https://www.toyotanation.com/forums/camry-hybrid.105/